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Review Article
PHARMACOGNOSY, PHYTOCHEMISTRY AND PHARMACOLOGY OF ABRUS PRECATORIUS LEAF: A REVIEW
*
INTRODUCTION
The search for new pharmacologically active agents from
natural resources, such as plants, animals and microbes
led to discovery of many clinically useful drugs over the
past two decades. Abrus precatorius plant has been used
in Hindu medicine from very early times, as well as in
China and other ancient cultures. In certain tribal regions
people chew leaf of Abrus precatorius for the relief of the
month ulcer. It also contains tri-terpenoid saponins and
used in the treatment of inflammation, ulcers, wounds,
throat scratches and sores.
Synonyms1: Abrus precatorius, Abrus aureus, Abrus
baladensis
plantae
Divison
magnoliophyta
Class
magnoliopsida
Order
fabales
Family
fabaceae
Subfamily
faboideae
Tribe
abreae
Genus
Abrus
Species
Parts used
leaf
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Morphology of leaf
The alternately arranged11 leaves (5-13 cm long) are oncecompound (i.e. pinnate) with 5-17 pairs of leaflets.
These leaflets (5-25 mm long and 2-8 mm wide) are
mostly hairless (i.e. glabrous), oblong in shape, and have
rounded tips (i.e. obtuse apices).
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Rasa
: Tikkta (bitter)
Guna
Tikshna (sharp)
Veerya
Vipaaka
Dosha Dosage
: Katu (Pungent)
: Pacifies vata and pitta
Leaf decoction
: 56-112 ml
: Ushna (Hot)
PHYTOCHEMISTRY OF LEAF
Glycyrrhizin: As the roots and leaves of Abrus precatorius
contain glycyrrhizin23. Glycyrrhizin is an important
24
phytoconstituent of liqorice which is widely used in the
pharmaceutical and food industry.
Glycyrrhizin25
New triterpenoid
Three new triterpenoids and one known triterpenoid
were isolated from an acid hydrolyzed methanol-soluble
extract26 of the leaves of Abrus precatorius.
Abrusosides A to D and Four Novel sweet triterpene
Glycosides
In addition to abrusoside A27, abrusosides B28, C, and D,
three further sweet glycosides based on the
novel cycloartane-type aglycone, abrusogenin29, were
isolated from an n-butanol soluble extract of the leaves
of Abrus precatorius30. It was observed that compounds
1-4 were neither acutely toxic with mice nor mutagenic
with Salmonella typhimurium strain. TM677, isolated
from leaf were found by a human taste panel to exhibit
sweetness potencies in the range 30-100 times greater
than sucrose31.
Abrusoside A32
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12. Agbagwa IO, Okoli BE, Ndukwu BC, Comparative anatomy of Abrus
Adanson species in parts of Tropical West Africa, Asian J Plant Sci, 6,
2007, 732-740.
CONCLUSION
th
st
27. Choi YH, Kinghorn AD, Shi X, Zhang H, Teo BK, Abrusoside A : a new
type of highly sweet triterpene glycoside, J Chem Society, chemical
communication 13, 1989.
th
34. Kennelly EL, Cai L, Kim NC, Kinghorn AD, Phytochemistry, 41, 1996,
13811383.
35. Jackinovich W, Moon C, Choi YH, Kinghorn AD, J Nat Prod, 53,
1990, 190196.
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nd
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